ASD
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71 stumps,5" below grade no clean up $5,000 but we have an 8018
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- Thread starter gr8scott72
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Geez, That's a big ole stump and a hell of a lot of chips. Do you haul all them away.
gr8scott72
Addicted to ArboristSite
gr8scott72
Addicted to ArboristSite
No clean-up on this job. Grind and go. Chips stay where they lay.
pmoudy
ArboristSite Lurker
How about $1500 is what it was cost here in AR where i live.
I bet you was glad not to haul all them chips away, That would have been a task in itself.
gr8scott72
Addicted to ArboristSite
Almost right on the head. I bid $1476.
Mowingman
ArboristSite Guru
Wow, that is really low. That would be at least a $5000.00 job here. and, I would require they be cut off closer to the ground before I would grind them. I would charge an additional $50.00/stump if I had to grind them standing that high.
Jeff
Jeff
gr8scott72
Addicted to ArboristSite
They had dump trucks, front end loader, and a crew of a dozen guys. One of the guy's apparent job description was back-pack blower starter. The only thing I saw him do was put the blower on the back of another guy then pull the cord.
:hmm3grin2orange:
gr8scott72
Addicted to ArboristSite
Well, I promise you wouldn't have got the job, even if I wasn't bidding. Some big time low-ballers here.
The way I figured it was that I'm not doing anything else and I figured it was about 20 hours of grinding. (spent more like 30 but whatever.) 20 hours came out to about 75/hour and that's good money to me when I'm not tied up with any other work.
This grinder usually makes me about $150/hour.
treeslayer
Addicted to ArboristSite
the operational costs of running a machine like that with fuel, wear and tear(based on a $37,000 machine) for approx 24hrs should be around $25 an hour. Thats about $600 in expense not including your time. Job totaling 30hrs. You made approx $29 an hour.
I think you could of gotten a bit more for that job. The low ballers with their little 25hp grinders would of been upside down in profits on a large contract like that. Any idea on what the next highest bid was?
I think you could of gotten a bit more for that job. The low ballers with their little 25hp grinders would of been upside down in profits on a large contract like that. Any idea on what the next highest bid was?
gr8scott72
Addicted to ArboristSite
I don't quite agree with your math but even if it is correct, $29 per hour beats $0 per hour!
I used about 40 gallons of fuel x $2.019 per gallon = $80.76, 2 sets of lead teeth ($3 each to sharpen x 20 = $60), probably $20-$30 in gas for the truck which totals $170 plus whatever the wear and tear on grinder/truck is. Call it a couple hundred and that's still under $400.
$1476 - $400 = $1076 / 30 hours = $35.87/hour
so you're pretty close but like I said, $35 per hour is better than nothing which is exactly what I was doing before that job and what I am doing now that it's done.
Oh, and nobody around here has 25 hp grinders. They just have 20 year old tow behinds that are about to fall apart. Same with their trucks.
B-Edwards
Addicted to ArboristSite
Same where I am at. You city guys, no offense would be in trouble in these rural areas. I am the only one around here that I have ever seen do a blow-over with a grinder. Most will leave it or a backhoe will jerk it out and fix it back cheaper than I can grind it. People here will spend $2.00 to save $1.00. Most businesses that will work in a suburban area will not work here and I am thinking where Scott is is very similar to here although very flat and warm right now. I used to line-up work that I knew I wouldn't make any money on just to keep my guys work, they were the only ones who would profit on the job. You do that in areas like this or you don't exist. I know you are thinking I would leave that area, you might and you might not . It is home and there are benefits to living in an area like this. Not arguing just saying it's tough in these hills as most that live here either don't care about what a stump looks like or will dig it out by hand ( I aint lieing). Try competing with that with a 50k machine.
stumper067
ArboristSite Lurker
Track or not
Scott, I have been in the stump biz for 28 years part time just up the road here in Mississippi.(Columbus). I recently had back surgery and sold my Carlton, over the years I have always owned Carltons...but I have never owned a tracked Carlton, always a pull behind. I will be in the market for a new Carlton self propelled wheeled or track machine in the spring...My question to you and other members, will a tracked machine out preform a 4x4 self propelled wheeled unit. Can you get proper depth with a tracked machine?? What if a tracked machine quits running? Can it still be moved to another location? I understand the debate over less damage/more damage to yards and such (I own a tracked Kanga) but I am mainly interested in the machine preformance issue....
Thanks for replies:
Stumper067
Scott, I have been in the stump biz for 28 years part time just up the road here in Mississippi.(Columbus). I recently had back surgery and sold my Carlton, over the years I have always owned Carltons...but I have never owned a tracked Carlton, always a pull behind. I will be in the market for a new Carlton self propelled wheeled or track machine in the spring...My question to you and other members, will a tracked machine out preform a 4x4 self propelled wheeled unit. Can you get proper depth with a tracked machine?? What if a tracked machine quits running? Can it still be moved to another location? I understand the debate over less damage/more damage to yards and such (I own a tracked Kanga) but I am mainly interested in the machine preformance issue....
Thanks for replies:
Stumper067
Wow Scott, that is cheap. It wouldn't be 5k here, but I would bid between 2-2500.
We got the same problem here. Guys towing crappy machines behind crappy trucks, and bidding super low prices over the phone.
But, at the same time, my phone has all but stopped ringing, so you gotta give a little I guess.
gr8scott72
Addicted to ArboristSite
I love the tracks. I think they allow me to get to places that wheeled units can't.
The depth isn't really a problem for me.
If it dies, no, it is stuck where it sits.
stumper067
ArboristSite Lurker
Thanks
1. love the tracks. I think they allow me to get to places that wheeled units can't.
2. The depth isn't really a problem for me.
3. If it dies, no, it is stuck where it sits.
Scott, I'm good on issue 1&2, but If "if it dies it is stuck where it sits"
it would kill my sole to leave a 45,000 machine alone on a vacant lot or even in a customer's yard for any amount of time....looks like they would install a relieve valve or something so at least it could be pulled upon a trailer with a winch....
thanks for the reply
stumper067
1. love the tracks. I think they allow me to get to places that wheeled units can't.
2. The depth isn't really a problem for me.
3. If it dies, no, it is stuck where it sits.
Scott, I'm good on issue 1&2, but If "if it dies it is stuck where it sits"
it would kill my sole to leave a 45,000 machine alone on a vacant lot or even in a customer's yard for any amount of time....looks like they would install a relieve valve or something so at least it could be pulled upon a trailer with a winch....
thanks for the reply
stumper067
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gr8scott72
Addicted to ArboristSite
Call Carlton and ask. It might and I just might not be aware of it.
stumper067
ArboristSite Lurker
Took your advice and called Carlton....
Well, good advice when you don't know call...so I did......Carlton advised that there is no way to move the track machine unless you have an on site crane....this would steer me toward a wheeled unit even though a track unit might be better under some conditions.....
Well, good advice when you don't know call...so I did......Carlton advised that there is no way to move the track machine unless you have an on site crane....this would steer me toward a wheeled unit even though a track unit might be better under some conditions.....
